Ashland Theological Seminary sits a mere 200 feet from my home. It has been a fixture in my community for the duration of my life. As such, it has exerted a significant influence over the shape of our town, particularly in regards to the world of counseling. In the last several decades this institution has shifted its focus to concentrate almost primarily upon counseling. One of the more significant pieces of the curriculum has been the development of classes dealing with the subject of “formational prayer,” otherwise known as “inner healing prayer.” One class offered at the school is dedicated to the subject. The class, which is called “Formational Prayer,” has as its course description the following, Students will explore the qualifications and preparation necessary to embrace a ministry of inner healing prayer. The course will focus upon the relationship between past woundings, false beliefs, emotional upheaval, and dysfunctional behaviors in the lives of broken people. Special emphasis will be given to the Spirit-directed process of helping hurting people find healing and freedom in Christ, balancing insights from both counseling and pastoral theology.[1] Dr. Terry Wardle has been a major fixture within the counseling department and is a dominant fixture for the inner healing course work. He himself is a Professor of Practical Theology at the seminary, and his books on the subject of inner healing are required readings for the formational prayer courses. Dr. Wardle has also functioned as the director of the Institute of Formational Counseling and currently serves as the president of Healing Care Ministries, a local and international ministry for propagating the idea of formational prayer. It is worthy of note that on the Healing Care Ministries website, he is credited with having created the concept of formational prayer.[2] It is enough to say, then, that Dr. Wardle is a monumental individual when it comes to Ashland Seminary. Wardle’s teaching has left a significant mark upon the town in which I live and it is gaining a degree of influence in the wider world. For this reason, it is important to evaluate the concepts and methodology of the formational prayer process. Thus, after summarizing the basic concept of formational prayer and inner healing, it will be the aim of this paper to analyze some of the terminology applied to formational prayer, assess Wardle’s biblical hermeneutic in regards to the work of inner healing, and then offer a critique of the methodology. THE DEFINITION & PROCESS OF INNER HEALING PRAYER Before delving into a formal analysis, it is necessary to first define formational prayer and lay out the process of inner healing counseling. Wardle states the purpose of inner healing prayer as “the process of helping a broken person meet Christ in the pain-filled wounds of the past in order to set them free from his distress and dysfunctional behaviors that are keeping them in bondage.”[3] The counselor’s job is to help the counselee work through trauma of the past which is believed to be affecting their present reality. His belief is that there are pains which were received in another point in time which somehow affect the emotional or behavioral well-being of a person. To experience healing, this emotional pain must be dealt with properly. Or, to use Wardle’s language, these unhealthy memories and emotional baggage must be properly “processed.” Due to not being processed properly, the person continues to experience difficulty. These memories, which may be affecting the person on a conscious or unconscious level, end up impinging upon the daily life of the person in the form of emotional or behavioral dysfunctions. The goal of formational prayer, then, is transformation. This transformation, as Wardle defines it, happens when “the Holy Spirit, through deep healing prayer, works with broken people to clear out all the accumulated debris that is restricting freedom and growth.”[4] The methodology which is used to achieve this goal may be described as imaginative, counselor led “prayer.”[5] The process is described by Wardle in the following way.[6] Step 1: Create and Enter into A Safe Place in Which to Meet the Lord The counselee must first become comfortable and have a feeling of safety. One way this is accomplished is by situating the counselee in a cozy environment. The client may take a soft blanket in hand or use some other sensory items, such as visual symbols, music, or even items of taste or smell (such as incense). The goal is to produce positive feelings and provide a sense of peace. Once the environment is conducive to an adequate level of tranquility, the client may turn to other dynamics of relaxation. Specifically, he should be coached through breathing techniques, to achieve a feeling of physical serenity. After these preparations have sufficiently brought the counselee to a point of physical ease, the client can then be encouraged by the counselor to begin whispering words of thanks and praise to the Lord. As the counselee becomes more ensconced in his safe place, he may then be prompted to ask the Spirit to take over his imagination and create a safe place in his mind where he may meet the Lord. Whether this is a real place where he has been before (such as a favorite vacation spot) or one that is imagined, does not matter. It is merely a place in the mind which will become a point of contact with the Lord. The counselee may reside in that imaginary place as long as he wishes. However, when he is ready, he is to invite the Lord to join him there. This invitation may take different forms. He may invite the Lord to come in his true form or in the form of a lamb, if that would be less frightening. If there is any kind of agitation, he may simply ask the Lord to allow him to feel the Lord’s invisible presence. Again, the counselee is to pause in this moment. He is to bask in this moment, taking time to feel the warmth of the Lord’s love. During this encounter, every feature of the Lord is to be visualized: his posture, eyes, extended arms, etc. Intimacy is to be developed with the visualized Lord as the two draw closer to each other. Once this intimacy is established, the counselee is to begin conversing with the Lord. He should give voice to how he feels about Christ and ask Christ to reciprocate his feelings towards the counselee. This may be the conclusion of the first formational prayer encounter. The goal has simply been to create a safe and comfortable place wherein the counselee can meet the Lord and experience the power of his transcendent love. It has been about having this radical, mystical experience which will be the catalyst for dealing with the personal trauma in subsequent encounters. Step 2: Finding and Addressing the Place of the Pain’s Origin Now that the counselee has met the Lord and found some degree of solace in Christ, Wardle says that he can begin to move forward with addressing the deeper inward pain which is causing personal trouble in his life. The above process should be followed again. After ensuring that the counselee is safe, comfortable, and has that deep encounter with the personally felt love of Christ, the counselee should ask the Lord to identify the source of the emotional encounter. What is interesting is that the cause of the disorder in this person’s life is not necessarily known by him. It is so deep that the Lord must reveal the wound’s origin. Wardle says, “The Lord helps a wounded person find the source of unprocessed emotions…it may take time and great discernment, but eventually the Spirit will unlock the past. Some people may not remember actual events, but simply have feelings that originated from some unconscious memory. Those feelings must be validated and brought to the Lord, even though the person may never actually remember what caused them.”[7] Wardle even acknowledges that these events could have happened and been stuck in the memory as an infant, prior to the development of the brain and conscious memory.[8] Step 3: Relive and Release the Traumatic Event Now that the counselor and counselee have an understanding of where the wound has come from, they may begin to deal with it. This third and final step of the process is core to the formational prayer methodology as inner healing is “the process of helping a broken person meet Christ in the pain-filled wounds of the past in order to set them free from his distress and dysfunctional behaviors that are keeping them in bondage.”[9] Once again, the counselee must enter into the realm of their imagination. This time, they must go back to the point of pain and experience the trauma all over again. Whether it was an attack of an abusive husband, a child’s molestation, or the neglect a mother displayed in childhood, the counselee must return to ground zero and visualize it, with all its pain, all over again. Wardle believes this is necessary and says that the counselee must become a “mental time traveler.”[10] At this point he relies heavily upon the work of behavioral scientist Daniel Schacter and his definition of “episodic memories.”[11] In sum, it is believed that the episode has become entrenched because it is a real time event. The rationale then, is that in order to achieve healing, a similar encounter must be had with just as much vivid detail. The difference is that this memory becomes a positive one which will replace the former trauma. This enables the counselee to process the memory and gain healing. “The only way to gain healing from the traumatic episodic memory,” says Wardle, “is to have an even more powerful episode where Jesus enters the memory.”[12] Thus, to gain healing, the event must not just be relived, it must be reimagined. This is where the memory is truly “processed” and Christ is said to bring the true restoration. After having relieved the event in the mind’s eye, the counselor should coach the client through the process again, but this time inviting Christ into the moment to show his love. Wardle give an illustration from his own life. He says he once saw Jesus dying on the cross. In the midst of his torture, Jesus said to Wardle, “I care.” Wardle then said that this moment of encounter brought relief and release, allowing him to process his own experience of betrayal and loss.[13] Wardle also compares this to Jesus’ own personal experience in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Bible tells us that Jesus struggled deeply with the anxiety of the cross which was to befall him in the upcoming hours. However, There obviously came a moment in Gethsemane when the Lord obviously experienced the presence of the Father, experienced his love, received his direction, and found peace. He rose from prayer, ready for the events of the passion to unfold…at some point in the agony of Gethsemane, Jesus had an episodic encounter with the Father.[14] Once a client has relieved this encounter anew with Christ in the matrix of his memories, the memory may be released. Thus, the counselee finds healing as the painful feelings and the dysfunctional behaviors are quelled. ANALYSIS OF TERMINOLOGY Now that the concept of formational prayer has been defined and laid out, it is necessary to begin to critique it. The place to begin is with an analysis of some of Wardle’s main vocabulary. In reading through Wardle’s works, certain terms are repeated ad nauseum. Due to the frequency of their usage, one may consider them central to his framework. An examination of these words reveals something of the inadequacy of the entire framework as a legitimate form of Christian counseling. Prayer Wardle’s whole approach to counseling is called formational prayer. His books, classes, and seminars are devoted to laying out this special kind of counseling. It is supposedly a form of prayer and one which should be concluded with the word “Amen.” Unfortunately, the idea which he posits does not come close to the Biblical understanding of the term. Historically, the church has defined prayer as our duty in addressing the Lord, whether verbally with the mouth or internally with the silent voice of one’s inner spirit. For instance, the Westminster Shorter Catechism defines prayer in its 95th question and answer as “An offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.” The Heidelberg Catechism defines prayer in its 117th question and answer as “calling upon the one true God only, who has revealed Himself in His Word, for all He has commanded us to ask of Him.” In each of these historic documents, prayer is regarded as our work, whereby we speak to God. Whether it is the “offering up of our desires unto God” or “calling upon the one true God,” it is the speech of a believer addressed to the divine. In more recent times it has been popular to regard prayer in terms of the ACTS acrostic: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. While this may express the structure of prayer, it recognizes that prayer is what is spoken to the Lord, be it the praises and thanks that are offered to Him or the confessions and supplications made before him. Thus, a simple “Sunday School” definition of prayer may simply be phrased as “talking to God.” Scripture backs these historic definitions. The Psalms have been recognized in many places as being the prayer book of the saints. The Psalms are frequently addresses to God (for instance, Psalm 18:1, “I love you Lord, my strength”) or accounts of having addressed God (e.g. Psalm 120:1 “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me”). As well, Jesus taught his disciples to pray and encouraged them to address the Lord by specifically saying, “When you pray, say, ‘Our Father, who art in heaven.’” (Luke 11:2). However, formational prayer hardly resembles anything like this. About the only time that there is actual prayer is when the counselee is instructed to ask the Lord to come to him and reveal the areas of hurt in his life. Other than that, the majority of the inner healing activity is simply imaginative play. One is supposed to remake memories by visualizing Jesus entering into the situation. What’s more, rather than addressing God, the whole process is a hope that God will address them. As with the example laid out above, Wardle himself was given reassurance when he heard Christ from the cross say, “I care.” Wardle also testifies that “People are to move beyond simple prayer to seasons of communion. Such times are characterized by fewer words, yet deeper levels of genuine communication.”[15] Wardle’s understanding of prayer at best is a form of mysticism which seeks a connection with God outside the normal boundaries God has set down in his Word. Far from being the cries of a saint’s heart to the Almighty, it is a teleportation of Jesus into an environment conjured up in a person’s mind. Perhaps a better way to define the process of inner healing is with the word séance. Wardle’s emphasis on imaginative creativity and getting into a heightened state of suggestion through coziness, relaxation, and incense burning, mimics what one achieves when seeking to attain a hypnotic state. That the person is guided by a professional to make contact with and receive messages from the spirit world is akin to what one might be found doing at the local psychic’s establishment. What is interesting is that Wardle himself warns that the whole procedure can be a problem for people who have been involved in the occult, new age mysticism, and ritualism.[16] In a way, he himself testifies to the fact that the methods he employs look more like Saul’s encounter with the medium at Endor than the kind of prayer God commands in Scripture. In the end, Wardle’s use of the word “prayer” is quite out of accord with the traditional, biblical understanding of the term. Dysfunction / Dysfunctional Behavior Wardle shows his penchant for secularism with the profuse use of the word dysfunction. Dysfunctions are any kind of behavior or emotion which may be considered abnormal. The ideas of anxiety and fear are not sins so much as they are dysfunctions. Rather than being a problem of the heart, they are emotional or physical problems. They would not qualify as morally wrong; rather they are simply abnormal. In sum, Wardle prefers to use the language of modern psychology rather than the biblical word sin. In his book Healing Care, Healing Prayer Wardle does devote space to addressing the idea of sin. He speaks as a valid evangelical in regards to the need for Christ’s atonement for sin, the nature of sin as missing the mark (harmartia), and the conviction of the Holy Spirit in regards to it.[17] He even says that it is very important that “these dysfunctional behaviors be identified for what they are: sinful responses to pain and unmet needs in people’s lives.”[18] He goes on to recognize that the failure to do so takes away one’s personal responsibility. Unfortunately, most of Wardle’s writing shies away from this kind of language and follows a secular approach to psychology. Wardle prefers to call the counselee’s problems dysfunctions and says that these dysfunctions stem from painful past episodes. Thus, he reneges on the thought that sin springs from the heart, and that it needs to be confessed. Rather, the counselee becomes nothing more than a victim who is simply living out the consequences of past traumatization. So, while there is a hat tip to repentance and personal responsibility, the majority of his texts speak with unbiblical language in regards to behavior. Wardle will even go so far as to state that sin is not the most pressing problem in a person’s life. He assumes that the dysfunctions are more deeply rooted and more problematic than sin. “Dealing with the issue of sin is very important, but it is not the end of the process, it is the beginning of a deeper work,”[19] he says. Thus, “Inner healing prayer always moves to the place of deepest need, allowing Jesus to heal and strengthen the broken person.”[20] The idea of dysfunction is found implied in Wardle’s understanding of the healing process, which he calls transformation. He says that transformation is where… The Holy Spirit, through deep healing prayer, works within broken people to clear out all the accumulated debris that is restricting freedom and growth. He helps them release pent up emotions.[21] It is to be noted that healing is not a transformation from sinful behaviors, which are against God’s law, to godly behaviors, which are in accord with God’s law. Neither is the Spirit said to bring conviction for sin and lawlessness. Rather, the Spirit’s work is to “clear out accumulated debris (of trauma)” and “release pent up emotions.” The focus, then, is not on deliverance from sin, but from a fault in the brain, memory, or emotions. As Wardle downplays the notion of sin, he subsequently distorts the view of Christ’s work. The atonement of Christ will certainly provide deliverance from sin’s consequences in his view, but it is also meant to free those who are trapped in prisons of emotional darkness. [22] Jesus is said to set the prisoner free, but Wardle defines prison as emotional bondage (not sin and death). Subsequently, the freedom Christ provides is freedom from emotional trauma over and above sin and death. Again, we may trace this concept of dysfunction through one of Wardle’s personal anecdotes. In this book Strong Winds, Crashing Waves Wardle confesses to feeling down after his children leave from their vacation spot. He notes that his spirits were out of sorts for a number of days, including the extremes of sadness, despair, grief, anxiety, and panic. [23] His redemption came after calling a colleague who leads him through a time of formational prayer. He came to realize it stemmed from a time in his childhood where he felt betrayed, neglected, and loss. In this episodic encounter he came to feel safe because he saw Jesus standing behind him while he sat on a wooden bench. Nowhere in this anecdote does Wardle acknowledge his down feelings as a failure to be content, cheerful, or thankful. Neither must he repent or confess of any of these things. What’s more, he does not have to gain forgiveness through the blood of Christ or find his satisfaction in the Lord. Instead, his actions were dysfunctions, which were mended by means of the works of his own imagination. He was able to take a mental journey into his long forgotten past and paint an excessively sentimental picture of Christ. By the power of his imagination he is able to gain the affirmation he needs to recover from his dysfunction. Wounds / Broken People have dysfunctions because they are “wounded” and “broken.” These words, which pervade the pages of Wardle’s books, have to do with the state of a person who has experienced some kind of trauma. The degree of trauma, of course, does not matter. Whether it was shell shock in a war or being called a momma’s boy by one’s father, there is harm done to one’s person. The trauma brings emotional harm which may be described as a wound. This wounding causes one to be mentally and emotionally “broken.” These wounds, according to Wardle, cause a person to act out. They dictate behavior. Just as a fractured femur would cause a person to have a severe limp, a wound of trauma causes a person to be emotionally broken and, as a result, they have an emotional limp. As with the word dysfunction, the words wound and broken (as Wardle uses them) do not have any Scriptural grounding when it comes to the emotions. This is not to say that the Bible does not acknowledge strong emoting. The Word of God is far from stoic when it comes to human passions. The Bible recognizes the fact that emotions are real and can be fervent. However, the Bible does not talk about being emotionally broken. Jay Adams has rightly said that people do not have emotional problems.[24] Adams states that people’s emotions typically work quite well. A problem has triggered these feelings, and this problem is typically sin. It is this problem that is at the root of the emotions which must be rectified. If one is attacked and called a momma’s boy, the right response is to not live in the fear of man and allow those words to govern your life. If there is even some validity to the words (I am overly attached to my mother and need to be more independent), I should correct that. If the words have no truth to them and are simply a mean attack, then one should take his confidence in God, rebuke the person who offended, and not put much weight in the name calling. In sum, one’s feelings will usually work just as God designed them. If one feels sad or guilty, it is merely an indicator that something is wrong and must be rectified. While we may euphemistically speak of these problems as wounds, we do well to utilize concepts that fit with more biblical categories such as offenses, sins, attacks. These words will more likely stir one to deal with the problem in a righteous light, whereas using words like broken and wounding give the impression that one is a victim who has no personal responsibility in the matters before them. Safe place Wardle frequently urges counselors and counselees to create safe places. These safe places may include the counseling room and places that one creates in his mind. The former should certainly be done. The counselee should recognize that the counselor is his friend and will provide the confidentiality that is incumbent. However, the latter is problematic. Wardle encourages counselors and counselees to be very precise about creating a mental safe place. He recommends that counselees should be detailed in their imagined environment. This place can be a place where the client then goes to begin the process of confronting the trauma of the past and meeting Jesus. Why is this thinking wrong headed? First, it has no grounding in Scripture. Paul did not encourage the Corinthians or Galatians to close their eyes and journey off to the recesses of their minds. He himself faced many difficulties in life. However, he did not slip into a dream world in order to deal with these problems. Rather, each person in Scripture was called upon to face his problems with the confidence that God is all powerful and ever present. The mottos that led the Apostle Paul in times of difficulty were, “His grace is sufficient for me,” and “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The Apostle did encourage his followers to look to the world to come. As he exhorted the Corinthians he told them that these “light and momentary afflictions will not compare to the eternal weight of glory.” This future hope to which God’s people look forward is not the same as Wardle’s imagined safe place. It is a real world, which allows one to take confidence because he knows that the present trials will end and give way to the reality of eternal blessedness. Wardle’s mental safe place, in contrast, is an alternate reality. It is a place where one can gain relief by feeling cozy and happy. In sum, it is a form of escapism which Wardle promotes. It is not unlike taking a drug which will give you a “trip” and allow you some temporary relief from this world’s ills. What’s more, Wardle’s safe place becomes a portal to other realms. It is in this home base that one takes journeys to distant memories and perpetually goes fishing for problems from the past. Rather than dealing with the real world and the problems in this world, the person is encouraged to fly off to the new world which they have created in their mind. This alternate reality is, for all practical purposes, much better than the world in which God has put them. ASSESSMENT OF THE BIBLICAL DATA AND HERMENEUTICAL APPROACH It is to be appreciated that Wardle makes references to Scripture and seeks to bring in the light of God’s Word from time to time in his writings. Wardle denominates himself a Christian and seeks to bring the inspired truth to bear on the concepts about which he writes. However, there are at least three criticisms that one can make in regards to his use of the Scriptures. First, the corpus of biblical data that he refers to is quite limited in its quantity. As Wardle explains his approach in his books, there are very few Scriptural references. Throughout his writings there are just enough references sprinkled into the pages to make the book have some Christian flavor. These Scripture citations, though, hardly have any real bearing on the problems which are mentioned in the book. There is not any real attempt to delve into any given passage and relate how it applies to either people’s problems or the method of formational prayer. For example, while the books refer to anxiety and fear, the passages of Scripture which deal with those themes are not referenced even once. Secondly, Wardle’s use of Scripture is deficient in many places in regards to its exegetical grounding. For instance, Wardle points to three passages as he relates the need for creating safe spaces within the mind: Psalm 83, 91:4, and Isiah 40:11. It is interesting to note that Psalm 83 does not say anything about a safe place. As a matter of fact, the exact opposite is true. The Psalmist recognizes that he is in deep trouble and under God’s wrath. His enemies are closing in on him to attack him, and he feels that God has cast him off. In Psalm 91:4 God is said to cover his people with his pinions, a metaphor for his protection of his people. However, this safety and security that God’s people enjoy is a present reality in the world in which we live. It does not need to be conjured up in a make believe world which we create in our minds. Finally, Isaiah 40:11 is a prophetic announcement of God’s shepherd-like care which he will give when he visits his people in that future day. Again, this is a real care which he bestows, though in a future day from Isaiah. It should not be thought that Isaiah is saying that someday people will have an invisible world where they will meet God. This lack of exegetical propriety may be thought to be an irresponsible handling of the Word of God. But there is more to it, which leads to the third and most prominent problem: Wardle ultimately does not believe the Bible is enough to deal with people’s deepest problems. As a matter of fact, Wardle employs the formational prayer methodology because he believes that there are emotional problems that are beyond the reach of Scripture’s healing power. A look at some of Wardle’s own words reveals this. Early in his book Strong Winds, Crashing Waves he gives a short definition of formational prayer saying it is “a process of using creative imagination that is based on Scriptural truths.”[25] This statement expresses that there may be some point of contact with Scripture, but really the need is to go beyond what Scripture has said to include what can be gained through the creative power of one’s imagination. In sum, one’s imagination has use that far exceeds the propositions of God’s Word. Or, it might be said that God’s Word will give you the starting point, but it is simply a springboard for the real work that goes on within the fictional place of one’s own mind. This statement is given further definition in the first chapter of his book Healing Care, Healing Prayer. “When reading God’s word,” says Wardle, “a caregiver must move beyond analyzing Scripture to experiencing God, who is present through the text.”[26] Wardle explains that one must have an existential meeting with God which corresponds to a direct visitation from God.[27] That is where true transformation supposedly occurs. It does not occur as the counselor unfolds and applies the Word of God to the counselee’s behavior. Wardle gives a personal illustration as support for his belief. He once read John 20:21, where Jesus says, “My peace I leave with you.” He said that he opened his imagination and sought to “enter the text.” This, then, “took him beyond reading Scripture” and allowed him to experience the peace that Jesus had promised. It allowed him to “have a transforming encounter with the Lord.”[28] Thus, there is a sense in which the Word of God may be considered a dead letter in and of itself. It is not until your imagination is added to the text that it comes alive and affects change in the life of the reader. To be sure, Wardle would say that it is in the realm of the mind and in this creative process that the Holy Spirit comes and ministers. But it only serves to further the idea that the Holy Spirit works above and apart from the Word which the Spirit himself inspired. Again, Wardle would recognize that the Bible is important. He would acknowledge that it should be studied and applied to one’s life. He testifies to the fact that it can heal one spiritually. But such words are overshadowed with the fact that he employs the formational prayer technique. In order for a person to have real transformation from one’s deepest pains he must have a personal revelation from God. He must encounter the person of Jesus Christ in an existential way and hear new words from from him in order to process and release his emotions. Not only does this form of therapy go against the traditional protestant understanding of Sola Scriptura, it fails to recognize the truth of many Scriptures already available. Scripture says that the Lord is “near to the broken hearted” (Ps 34:18). Jesus says, “Lo, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). Thus, a person does not need to escape to a realm far away in our minds to encounter the Lord. God has revealed that He is ever present and able to address our needs in this moment. CRITIQUE OF FORMATIONAL PRAYER When considering the overall approach of Wardle and his formational prayer, there are several things that can be appreciated. Readers will certainly see that Wardle strives to achieve an expressly Christo-centric focus. He believes that Christ is central for the healing process, and it is his very person that offers the way of deliverance for those who are hurting. Secondly, Wardle has an avid interest in an existential encounter with the Savior. He understands that Jesus is a person, and that one’s faith cannot simply be doctrinal in orientation or ritual based. It must be a lively faith in the true and the living God. Thirdly, Wardle may be commended for his interest in providing care and restoration to those who have experienced real hurt in their lives. Wardle’s methodology may be off kilter, but he does desire to bring healing and wholeness to people who are struggling to achieve emotional wellness. To be sure, other praiseworthy points may be recognized, but there are serious defects in Wardle’s approach. No matter how many laudable intentions there may be, the flaws of the formational prayer methodology cannot be covered over. The primary drawback of his approach is that it is not in anywise Christian. It is easy to tell that the inner healing therapy does not have any sort of biblical support. Just a cursory look at Scripture will demonstrate that there is not one figure in the Bible who uses this sort of approach to dealing with anyone’s personal problems. While Wardle will, from time to time, quote from the Apostle Paul and point to the example of Jesus, it is safe to say that neither the apostle nor the Lord used formational prayer in their dealings with people, nor did they set down in Scripture any kind of teaching that slightly resembles that which Wardle outlines. One can appreciate that Wardle desires to have a Christian system which deals with trauma, emotional upset, and non-physical pain. What’s more, one can applaud him for seeing that secular psychology does not give the kind of deep, restorative healing that Christ alone can give.[29] Unfortunately, Wardle’s approach does not in any way replicate the kind of approach that God himself reveals in His Word. Rather, Wardle relies heavily upon secular ideas, particularly the psychoanalysis of Freud, repressed memory therapy, and Schacter’s studies in episodic memories. Wardle also demonstrates a heavy influence from Henri Nouwen, a catholic priest who is presumed to be gay and taught at secularized universities such as Yale and Harvard. Contrarily, Paul talks extensively about his past and his hardships. In his ministry endeavors he was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, starved, and jailed. He was also betrayed, abandoned, conspired against. Yet, despite the extreme trauma that he faced, none of it was dealt with in the kind of way that Wardle outlines. One would assume that if the Lord wanted people to experience wholeness from severe inward upset, that Paul would have given some instruction on the basic principles of formational prayer. As mentioned previously, Wardle does refer to Jesus’ struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane. Wardle says that Jesus had an episodic encounter with the Father, which strengthened him and gave him the emotional fortitude to move forward to meet the events ahead. There is no doubt that Jesus prayed and rose with power to enter into his crucifixion. However, nothing is said about him becoming cozy and relaxed in his environment. Neither does it say that he visualized the Father coming to him, meeting with him, and overwhelming him with the infinite warmth of his love. In contrast, the Scripture says that Jesus was anything but cozy and relaxed. It was a time of great anguish, such to the point that his capillaries were bursting, and blood was seeping from his pores. Rather than a time of visualizing and experiencing the overwhelming sensation of God’s love, Jesus was entering into the formal time of the Father’s rejection. As the Heidelberg Catechism states regarding the meaning of the phase, “He descended into hell,” Jesus experienced the “hellish agony of which he was plunged during all his sufferings, but especially on the cross.” Finally, we might note that Jesus’ problems in the garden were not due to past problems. He had a very real and present danger with which he was dealing. Thus he did not need the Father to point out the pain of past neglect or abuse by his brothers. His previous difficulties had no bearing on this moment, rather, it was the weight of this moment and the decision to obey in this moment that was pressing. The second point of contention regards the notion of personal responsibility. Wardle is fixated with past trauma and, representing his Freudian influence, he pins people’s emotional and behavioral problems on these prior episodes. Wardle even admits that many of these past episodes cannot even be remembered.[30] As a matter of fact, the counselee may need to ask the Lord to point it out because he does not have a recollection that the trauma exists. Nevertheless, Wardle insists these previous stress points are the true cause of the present problems. What happens is that Wardle takes responsibility away from the counselee and puts the blame on someone or something else in ages gone by. In essence, Wardle says that one’s emotions and behavior are out of his/her control. A person’s behavior is not his fault, and he cannot change this behavior without having first visually addressed that past aggressor (whatever/whoever it may be) and by having an episodic encounter with the Lord. In the end though, there is no need for repentance, confession, or seeking new patterns of obedience. The only responsibility the person has is to get cozy. Again, it may be noted that, while Wardle has a worthy desire to show that Christ is the answer to all of life’s problems, he relies more on secularism than he does biblical truth. His formational prayer corresponds to, and may be considered, a baptized version of Freudian psychoanalysis. Freud posited that man’s problems are encased in the unconscious world of man due to repressed trauma. Freudian psychoanalysis turns out to be an archeological expedition back into the past in which a search is made for others on whom to pin the blame for the patient’s behavior. The fundamental idea is to find out how others have wronged him.[31] The only difference between Freud and Wardle in this respect is that Jesus is called in to be the one who points out the past trauma. The Bible on the other hand says that each individual must take responsibility for their actions and responses to life’s difficulties. As mentioned earlier, Paul endured great hardship. Yet he chose to rejoice in tribulation and bear the sufferings with cheerfulness, thankfulness, and with a spirit of patience, recognizing the sovereignty of God over his difficulties. He experienced emotional wellness because he responded with love, faith, and contentment despite his lot in life. Instead of blaming his circumstances and allowing his opponents treatment of him to dictate his behavior, the Apostle based his life on the commands of God and sought his comfort in this life in God alone. Scripture does not allow us to pass the buck when it comes to our emotional and behavioral problems. The Lord calls us to admit our faults and turn from them. While trauma may be real and painful, we must personally seek to see such events as a part of God’s story wherein He is working all things for our good and His glory. CONCLUSION Having given an analysis of Wardle’s vocabulary, hermeneutic, and failure to coincide with a biblical framework that calls people to take personal responsibility for their actions, it should be evident that the formational prayer approach is not a suitable form of counseling for Christian people. As has been shown, the inner healing methodology is, at best, a duplication of secular forms of counseling. At worst, it parallels the occult’s practice of contacting the spirit world for help. In the end, it may be said that formational prayer is neither formational nor prayer. On the one hand, it is not prayer because it does not pattern itself after the kind of prayer which Scripture sets forth. On the other hand, it does not offer any true formation in a person’s life because it does nothing in regards to real change (i.e. formation). A person is to have an encounter with a Christ created by his own imagination to help him feel better about himself. Yet, since a person is not challenged in their perspective, attitude, or behavior, one can hardly speak of genuine formation. By contrast, Biblical (nouthetic) counseling seeks to utilize prayer and move towards godly formation. As the counselor confronts wrongheaded beliefs and behaviors and points to the biblical way of living, the counselee may grow and experience the transformation of life and emotion that they seek. BIBLIOGRAPHY Adams, Jay. 1973. Christian Counselor's Manuel: The Practice of Nouthetic Counseling. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. —. 1970. Competent to Counsel: Introduction to Nouthetic Counseling. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. n.d. Healing Care Ministries. Accessed June 2020. http://www.healingcare.org/about. Wardle, Terry. 2001. Healing Care, Healing Prayer: Helping the broken find wholeness in Christ. Abilene, TX: Leafwood Publishers. —. 2004. Helping Others on the Journey: A guide for those who seek to mentor others to maturity in Christ. Tonbridge, England: Soveriegn Word. —. 2007. Strong Winds & Crashing Waves. Abilene, TX: Leafwood Publishers. __________________________ WORKS CITED [1] Ashland Seminary Course Catalogue, CNS 7728 Formational Prayer: https://seminary.ashland.edu/catalog#formational-prayer [2] Healing Care Ministries, June 2020, https://www.healingcare.org/about [3] Terry Wardle, Strong Winds & Crashing Waves (Abilene, TX: Leafwood, 2001), p. 16. [4] Ibid., p. 27. [5] The word prayer is put in quotes because it does not follow the typical definition of prayer. This will be dealt with below, under the analysis of terms and rhetoric. [6] The following steps are a condensed summary of the actions laid out in Strong Winds & Crashing Waves. [7] Ibid., p. 132. [8] Ibid., p. 131. [9] SWCW, p. 16. [10] Ibid., p. 131. [11] Ibid., p. 132. [12] Ibid., p. 112. [13] Ibid., p. 136. [14] Ibid., p. 135. [15] Terry Wardle, Healing Care, Healing Prayer (Abilene, TX: Leafwood Publishers: 2001), p. 33. [16] SWCW, p. 85. [17] HCHP, pp. 150, 152 [18] Ibid., p. 150. [19] Ibid., p. 159. [20] Ibid. [21] SWCW, p. 27 [22] Ibid., p. 36 [23] Ibid., p. 46 [24] Jay Adams, The Christian Counselors Manuel: The Practice of Nouthetic Counseling, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1973), p. 109. [25] SWCW, p. 51. [26] HCHP, p. 32. [27] Ibid., p. 31. [28] Ibid., p. 33. [29] SWCW, p. 47, 50. Wardle does point out the deficiency of modern therapies, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Medications for Chemical Imbalances [30] Ibid., pp. 131-32. [31] Jay E. Adams, Chapter 1, The Freudian Ethic, Competent to Counsel: Introduction to Nouthetic Counseling, Kindle Edition (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1970). |
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